Långholmens fängelsemuseum
Prison museum on Långholmen in Stockholm on 250 years of prison history, with an authentic cell and an exhibition on the artist Isaac Grünewald.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Långholmen was for about 250 years a place for penal institutions. In 1724 the state bought the manor Alstavik on the island and made it a spinning house (spinnhus), a penal institution for women. During the 19th century the prison operations were expanded, and the prisoners planted, among other things, three thousand trees that still shape the island's green environment.
The prison was closed in 1975. The buildings deteriorated for a time and some were demolished, but in 1989 Långholmens hotell och vandrarhem (Långholmen Hotel and Hostel) opened in the old prison buildings, with a Wärdshus (inn) and conference operations.
In the prison museum visitors can enter a cell and read about how the prisoners lived, how they were treated and what everyday life was like from the time of the spinning house in the 18th century until the closure. In the same building an exhibition on the artist Isaac Grünewald is shown; he spent a month on Långholmen and painted in his cell.
Highlights
- Authentic prison cell
- 250 years of prison history
- Exhibition on Isaac Grünewald
- Preserved exercise yard on guided tours
- Low admission fee
Permanent exhibitions
- Fängelsemuseet – Prison history from the spinning house in the 18th century until the closure in 1975, with a cell that visitors can enter.
- Isaac Grünewald på Långholmen – Exhibition on the artist Isaac Grünewald and his month in the prison, with reproductions of art he painted in his cell.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | SEK 25Children |
| Museum and exhibition on Isaac Grünewald | SEK 100 |
| Guided tour for a group, adult, per person (including the museum and the Grünewald exhibition) | SEK 140Minimum charge SEK 3,074; evenings and weekends SEK 4,134 |
| Guided tour for a group, young people aged 7–16, per person | SEK 63 |
Guests who stay overnight on Långholmen enter free of charge. Tickets are bought at the hotel reception. Prices for group guiding include VAT (moms).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum and the exhibition have a lift and an accessible toilet. Two disabled parking spaces are outside the hotel entrance.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Hornstull · 10-min walk
Metro (red line) to Hornstull, then about a 10-minute walk over the bridge to Långholmen. Several bus lines pass nearby, including the trunk line (stomlinje) 4.
By car
Free parking
About 30 free places for guests (first come, first served); parking permits are obtained at the reception. If the places are full, there is paid street parking on Södermalm.
From Arlanda an airport bus runs to Hornstull (about 45 minutes), then a walk.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
Långholmens Wärdshus (restaurant) and Bar & Park (café) are on the island.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups (up to 50 people, in Swedish and English) are booked by telephone or email. The guided tour covers the museum, the exhibition and the preserved exercise yard. On certain autumn days there is an open guided tour with lunch at the Wärdshuset. |
